D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
November
2008
Solar Energy
Page: 2Demonstrating to the students how humans use solar energy is one of the grant's "accountability" requirements, Bailey notes, a validation procedure and "reporting" responsibility that is part of almost any grant award.
"This is my first grant, and I want to be sure to give them what they need to prove I used their money wisely," she says. She plans to have the students experiment — and play! — with solar-powered toys, a fun way to bring humans into the lesson plan's equation and meet that reporting requirement.
"I was surprised at how flexible they are with the accountability and reporting process," she says. "I have to write two reports, one at mid-year and one at the end of the project. I have to prove that I spent the money, and on what I said I would, and send them the DVDs of the kids' presentations to show that learning took place."
Having just returned from Fall Break, now getting ready to set up those sparkling new terrariums, Bailey reflects and admits she was hit by some trepidation — perhaps some sort of "winner's remorse," she suggests with a laugh — after it started to sink in that she'd actually won the grant.
"First thing I thought of, naturally, was how great it was going to be. I could get all this stuff, all this help, to make my classroom better and excite my students. But then it hits me," she says, humorously taking on an expression of dread and great weight upon her shoulders. "I thought, 'What have I done? Have I just made a ton of work for myself?'"
She lets out an animated breath of relief, then laughs.
"Then I came back to myself and realized that, hey, this just enables me to do more. Life becomes richer!" she says, her face brightening. "This makes it all more fun, for the kids and for me!"
To bring her point home about how special materials — like the ones her grant has helped her procure — can enhance learning, Bailey gives the example of a student she had in her class last term.
"I had this one student who had not written one sentence all year. I mean it, not one sentence," she says. "There are a lot of reasons for that, but the main reason was that he just wasn't excited about school, about learning, about anything."
Things changed for the disengaged student when the class made a foray into frogs, she says.
"That little tadpole changed everything. With that tadpole on his desk, he came alive! Learning came alive for him," she says. "It was wonderful to see. He was a different child, a different student — involved, curious."
She smiles at the happy memory, then adds, "That's what it's all about."
To learn more about the A+ for Energy program, including the complete list of 2008 winners and 2009 application information, see www.aplusforenergy.net
Donna Clayton Lawder is senior editor of Desert Exposure.
You're on page 2